1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a refrigerator having an improved structure capable of preventing a dew formation phenomenon in a refrigerator having a pivoting bar.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, refrigerators supply a cool air generated by an evaporator to a storage compartment to maintain the freshness of various types of food stored therein for a long time. Refrigerators, depending on a type thereof, may include a plurality of storage compartments. Storage compartments of a refrigerator are divided into a refrigerating compartment which is maintained at about 3° C. and keeps food refrigerated and a freezing compartment which is maintained at about −20° C. and keeps food frozen.
Types of refrigerators may be divided according to shapes of storage compartments and a door thereof. Top mounted freezer (TMF) type refrigerators include storage compartments partitioned by a horizontal partition into top and bottom compartments, in which the freezing compartment is formed above the refrigerating compartment and the refrigerating compartment is formed below the freezing compartment. Bottom mounted freezer (BMF) type refrigerators include the refrigerating compartment formed above the freezing compartment and the freezing compartment formed below the refrigerating compartment. Side by side (SBS) type refrigerators include storage compartments partitioned by a vertical partition into left and right compartments, in which a freezing compartment is formed on one side of the partition and a refrigerating compartment is formed on the other side of the partition. French door refrigerator (FDR) type refrigerators include storage compartments partitioned by a horizontal partition, in which a refrigerating compartment is formed above the freezing compartment and a freezing compartment is formed below the refrigerator compartment while the refrigerating compartment on top of the freezing compartment is opened and closed by a pair of doors.
A gasket is provided on a door of a refrigerator. When the door is closed, the gasket seals a gap between the door and a body. However, in the case of FDR type refrigerators, since a refrigerating compartment is opened and closed by a pair of doors without the inclusion of a vertical partition in the refrigerator compartment, it is impossible to seal a gap between the pair of doors. Accordingly, a pivoting bar pivotably installed on one of the pair of doors to seal the gap between the pair of doors has been proposed.
A guide device which guides the pivoting bar to pivot during a door opening and closing process is installed on one side of the body. The guide device is generally installed on an outer surface of an inner casing to face the doors. The guide device may be located inside the storage compartment together with the pivoting bar when the doors are closed. The pivoting bar includes an insulator and a heating wire therein to reduce a difference in temperature between the pivoting bar and the outside when the doors are opened. However, since the guide device does not include an insulator and a heating wire therein, when the doors are opened, a dew formation phenomenon may occur on the guide device due to a difference in temperature between the guide device and the outside.